Edye Evans Hyde Named West Michigan Jazz Musician of the Year

Edye Evans Hyde of the Hope College music faculty has been named the 2011 Musician of the Year by the West Michigan Jazz Society.

An instructor of vocal jazz at Hope, she was honored during an awards banquet on Monday, Sept. 19, at The Watermark Country Club in Grand Rapids.

The recognition in conjunction with the award also includes a three-page feature about her in the group's September newsletter, "Jazz Notes," which celebrates her as "leading lady of theatre and song."

Edye Evans Hyde has been teaching and performing jazz, blues and pop music for more 30 years in West Michigan, Los Angeles and Asia. A 1975 graduate of Creston High School in Grand Rapids, she holds a bachelor's degree in music education from Aquinas College, has taught K-12 vocal music, and also served as the assistant director of admissions at Grand Rapids Community College.

She has shared the stage with world-renowned blues singer Linda Hopkins, pop singer Michael Bolton, actress Connie Stevens, the late Ray Charles and Cuban trumpet player Arturo Sandoval. She has also appeared with The Grand Rapids Symphony and The West Shore Symphony performing songs from her acclaimed CDs "Girl Talk" and "Lady with A Song."

Her stage performances have included principal roles in "Dream Girls," "Ain't Misbehavin," "Smokey Joe's Café," "Little Shop of Horrors," "Blues For an Alabama Sky," "Nunsense," "Barnum" (with Peter Scolari), "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill," "Ragtime," "Fences," "Intimate Apparel" and "Having Our Say." Her credits also include the award-winning independent film "Last Chair," and the Warner Brothers film "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," and the role of Ms. Lucy in the locally produced television show "Come On Over!"

Her husband, Mike Hyde, is an instructor of jazz guitar at Hope. They have two grown children, Leah (Nikki) and Evan.